About north arrows

A north arrow is a graphical representation indicating the direction of north in an Area. By default, a north arrow is placed vertically in the Area, which usually points north, except in a rotated Area (Raster Up). When you create a north arrow in a rotated Area, the north arrow is rotated by the amount set in the Area properties. For more information, see About rotated rasters. A north arrow is anchored to a neatline or to an Area if a neatline is not set, and are positioned in reference to that anchor.

You can use any of three available arrow types:
  • True north: arrow points to geographic north pole where the lines of longitude converge.
  • Magnetic north: arrow points to the magnetic north pole, which is the direction indicated by a magnetic compass.
  • Grid north: arrow points northerly along a grid line parallel to the central meridian of the Area projection. This arrow is most often used in topographic maps.

You can add more than one north arrow to an Area and set each arrow property separately. Several default symbols are available. You can also use the Symbol Editor (see Designing a symbol) to design your own.

To add a north arrow to an Area, see Creating a surround. To open the North Arrow Properties window, see Setting surround element properties.

For more information, see:

  1. Setting the angle and style for a true north arrow
  2. Adjusting the position of a north-arrow label
  3. Setting the angle and style for the magnetic north arrow
  4. Setting the angle and style for the grid north arrow
Parent topic: Working with surrounds
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